


Love on the Line

by Danko_Kaji



Series: Together {In A New World} ~ A Collection of AU Stories [1]
Category: Final Fantasy X & Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Angst, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-21 23:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2487020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danko_Kaji/pseuds/Danko_Kaji
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU. She wants to find true love. He no longer believes in love. Yuna still clings onto the memory of an old flame while Baralai spends the last of his adolescent days taking care of his great-grandmother. They were lost in the winds of change, haunted by the past – until they found hope in each other. On the night Yuna's mother winds up in a car accident, their worlds collide into a maelstrom of emotion. </p><p>[Rated for suggestive themes. Eventual Baralai/Yuna, hints of Baralai/Paine and Tidus/Yuna.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Youth

**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted on FF.Net.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baralai goes on a movie date with Paine, and runs into Yuna.
> 
> (Or the calm before the storm, Pt. I.)

  
Chapter 1: Youth

" _It takes a minute to have a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone… but it takes a lifetime to forget someone."_

― _Kahlil Gibran_

* * *

"That movie totally blows."

Baralai holds the door open for his date. "How so?"

Paine prefers dagger-thrown complaints over good manners; after she tosses away the watered-down soda, she snatches the bucket of popcorn from his hands and begins chomping down on them. "Couldn't you see? Limitless was about this novelist who couldn't write a stupid story, and then he meets some long lost brother-in-law who gives him this magical drug and… damn, the movie got boring in the middle. I mean, I was expecting more action, but the only real exciting part was near the end when that Russian guy tried to kill him. Instead, all we get is a loser living the good life. I didn't come to watch a movie about crap that already happens in real life."

Baralai withholds his opinion so she can vent to her heart's content, but to hear of her passionate discontent makes him sigh. Sitting down on a bench beside a stairway, he pries the empty bucket from her hands before Paine starts biting down on the acorn bits.

"I'm impressed how realistic the movie was, given the fact it was science fiction. If you would stop to think about it, the movie was more than just a failure novelist who lived a dishonest life through some kind of magical drug. Watching the movie, you could learn not to repeat the same mistakes he did. Dabbling in greed and shady people while acting like you have a Jesus-complex can only bring bad luck."

Paine scoffs, crossing her arms. "Karma, right?"

"Precisely." Baralai smiles and motions for her to sit down, but she ignores the offer and remains standing. "The ending seemed happy on the surface, but look what he got himself into. He made an enemy of his own mentor, who only did his best to mean well, after they became rivals in the business world. And he managed to win the girl in the end? I say he doesn't deserve her."

"Well, I liked the ending. It wasn't sad. And of course he won the girl. What main character doesn't?" Tired of standing, Paine plops on the bench, lounging with her legs crossed.

"Yes, but…" He frowns, annoyed. Normally he would devise a smooth plan to make a move ― perhaps hold her hand or wrap an arm around her shoulder ― but in this moment, he feels the need to challenge her opinion. "Did you not see what he did throughout the movie? He may have cared for his girlfriend greatly, however he's far from the self-respecting type. While he had an on-off relationship with her, he slept with other women even without the drug's influence. What does that say about his character?"

"That he's a typical guy. I think that was normal." She shrugs. "I didn't like it either, but so what? It's just a movie."

"Yes. You're right. It's just a movie." Baralai reclines into his seat, resigned. He expected Paine to act a little more considerate outside her blunt persona, but she still acts the same even without their friends around. Or at least see her possess some capacity to hold a meaningful or intellectual conversation about a movie beyond its mere purpose of entertainment, but alas the day has chosen to disappoint him. Did he set his expectations too high, or did he presume to know her when in fact he only saw the surface? 

"I have to go to the bathroom. Mind waiting?"

"No. Take your time."

While Paine departs up the stairs, hurrying to relieve herself, Baralai decides to dispose of the bucket in the meantime, wiping his hands on his jeans. He can still feel the salt and butter on his fingers, further annoying him, and before he can head for the men's bathroom, someone calls out to him.

"Baralai!" Hovering by the food counter, Yuna waves. There's something enticing about the innocent energy found in each bounce of her step, how she almost seems to skip on her way over to greet him. "Fancy seeing you here." Unique beauty glows in her blue and green eyes, and he can't help but stare whenever they are engaged in conversation. Gippal would call it a "fetish" if he were ever to discover this embarrassing secret of his.

He smiles. "Hello. It's nice to see you. Are you with your parents?"

"Mm-hmm. They are buying food." Yuna grins, indicating the direction from where she came.

What teenager shows genuine excitement to be found at the movies with their parents? Baralai raises an eyebrow, curious, and peers over Yuna's shoulder. The grown man with long, brown hair tied in a Japanese ponytail must be her father, too busy paying the cashier to acknowledge his daughter's disappearance. His wife must be the pretty blonde woman beside him who stares at them without bothering to hide the fact. Her mischievous smile amuses him for some reason, motivating him to give a polite wave. 

Baralai chuckles when she makes the two-finger sign: _I am watching you._

Yuna giggles. "My mom likes you."

"How do you know?"

"I saw you two make eye contact."

"Of course. Wouldn't it be rude otherwise?"

Yuna nods with a knowing smile. "Yes, but… My mom always says that a person willing to make eye contact shows great character."

"Oh. Well." Baralai blushes a little, flattered. "Tell her I said thank you."

"I will. So, what movie are you going to watch?"

" _Limitless_. I already watched it." Baralai already feels his mood deteriorating at the simple reminder. He doesn't want to reflect on how successful this expenditure turned out to be, lest he reconsider his prospects. "Now I'm waiting for my date to return from the bathroom." 

Yuna panics, as if worried that she might have been interrupting, and then she smiles. "Is it Paine? Rikku told me."

"She's still the gossiper, I see."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be private?"

Baralai blinks, surprised by the depth of her apology, and laughs. "No. You don't have to apologize. I'm only teasing."

"Okay," she says, relieved, "Hey, if you don't mind me asking, have you finished writing your first draft?"

"For our History paper? Not yet. I'm still brainstorming."

"For me," Yuna says, clasping her hands together, "Brainstorming is kind of like watching a storm come in close, and you can see all the lightning and hear all the thunder. But it never actually hits. Something complex and altogether wondrous, don't you think?" 

Baralai finds her enthusiasm infectious, feeling the corners of a smile mimic her own. "Yes. Like, you can feel there are great ideas, but they are far away in your mind."

"Exactly! I'm glad you understand."

Baralai chuckles, crossing his arms in mock contemplation. "Hmm… I never would have pegged you as the one who finds beauty in chaos. If anything, you always seem like a peaceful person."

Yuna giggles, swaying her hips. "I like to stand outside and watch thunder storms come in."

"I mean no offense, but you don't look like the type of person to."

"Well, you'd be surprised. Thunder is relaxing once you get rid of the scary part. There was one night, back when I was just a kid: there were thunder clouds all around, but right above me, the sky was clear and starry. It was beautiful."

"That sounds glorious. If the weather ever changes to fit those conditions, I'll be sure to join you."

"Hey." Paine does not sound pleased, especially when Baralai gathers the courage to look at her. She stands atop the bottom three steps, arms hanging over the railing until she descends to reach their level. Broiling red emotion glows in her glare like something fierce, and he resists the urge to palm his forehead. "We're not done with our date, right? I recall we still need to do dinner. That's how this works, last I checked."

"Oh… H-Hi, Paine." Yuna withers at the receiving end of her anger. "I'm sorry I interrupted… I guess this means it's time for my movie. See you later, Baralai."

"See you, Yuna." Baralai watches Yuna wave goodbye before jogging over to join her family, delaying the moment he must turn around to confront his irate partner. "Was that really necessary?"

"Excuse me? You're the one flirting with others while already on a date."

"Where was I when this flirting took place? Please, remind me." He doesn't appreciate her attitude, not when he fails to see what he did wrong. "Unless I'm forbidden to talk about school…"

"Ugh. Just forget it. I'm hungry. Let's go." She uncrosses her arms and stalks out the theatre, bewildering him with her brisk dismissal.

Baralai resigns to follow, and picks up the pace to grasp her arm. "Paine, wait. I said wait! Why are you so angry?" 

She jerks away, shutting him out with stubborn silence. Once she finally stops stomping across the parking lot long enough to recollect herself, she sighs and turns to face him. "I thought we were supposed to be best friends," she says, giving voice to a rare moment of vulnerability.

"What? Of course! Why would you even…" Baralai sighs, rubbing his temple. "I don't understand. Can you please tell me in a way I can?"

She turns away to hide the hurt expression on her face. "Never mind. I don't want to talk about it."

He looks at her, silent in his agony to reach her closed heart.

  


~

  


_What does it mean to fall in love, to give your heart out to someone special?_

_To fall in love like in the legends, a royal and a peasant like in Aladdin, or lovers of rival families, like Romeo and Juliet. To be swept off your feet by prince charming, like Snow White. To fall in love at first sight, like Cinderella. To be saved by a knight in shining armor, like Sleeping Beauty. To marry the love of your life, to find romance in a sworn rival, to settle down with the resident bully, or to date the woman of your dreams._

_First love. Attraction of the opposites. Taboo. Second love. Stockholm syndrome._

_Childhood friends. Star-crossed lovers. Soulmates._

_How do you know when you fall in love?_

Baralai sighs, shifting his attention to doodle on the corner of his page. Teenage relationships are so complicated, they bring on a whole new level of exhaustion, and he wonders what did he ever do to deserve his friend's wrath. Paine's behavior the day before puzzles him. Since when does she overreact to the presence of other girls? He never took her for the jealous type. Why has she been acting so sensitive around him lately?

 _'I know that if I spend one more minute thinking about this, I will definitely get a headache.'_ He lets the matter go for now. Yuna will be arriving soon to work on their essays anyway, and he needs to get ready. Before Baralai can head upstairs to his room and grab his backpack, his cell phone rings, and he stops to answer it.

" _Sooo… how'd the date go?"_

Baralai re-adjusts the phone on his shoulder, smiling. "Why, hello there, Miss Rikku."

" _What? Dude, no! This is Gippal!"_

He senses his pout on the other end and chuckles. It never gets old teasing him. "You could have fooled me."

" _Now you're just being mean."_

"I know."

" _Anyway, spill it. You didn't call me yesterday_ after _the date, and you didn't call me_ at all _today."_

"It's one o'clock, Gippal. Half the day isn't even over. Plus it's not like I will disappear if you don't hear from me for a day or two."

" _B'man, I know how you are. If you don't call in forty-eight hours, you won't feel like calling anyone for_ days! _Remember last summer? You didn't call for three months! And when I finally heard your voice, I didn't recognize you!"_

"You see me at school everyday. And you know I'm not a cell phone kind of person."

" _We're two years apart, and you're in all those advanced classes and you go straight home after school ends. I'm lucky to even catch you during lunch! See how hard I work to be your best friend?"_

"Right now you're trying to guilt trip me into giving you details about yesterday. I know your ploy." He does feel guilty, of course; does not feel proud of his tendency to value his solitude over spending time with his friends, but Gippal doesn't need to know that. "Why don't you be honest with yourself and say you miss me?" Baralai meanders into the kitchen, opening the closet to rummage through the packaged food until he excavates a bag of pretzels. Maybe Yuna would like to snack on these while they study. He could also make them cups of hot cocoa with the NesQuik mix, or maybe juice instead if she prefers something cold. _'Hm, decisions, decisions...'_

" _You're gonna be like that now? Okay. Let's see… I miss the good old days where you would bend over for me―."_

Baralai blanches, mortified. "Okay, that's enough. You're embarrassing me." His face flushes in anger once he hears Gippal start to crack up, and he scowls. "I hate when you get crude."

" _I love how you don't deny it."_

"There's no point in telling you to stop. You don't like to listen."

" _If you really want me to listen, now's the perfect time~!"_

"Well..." Pouring pretzels for himself inside a bowl, Baralai leans on the counter and nibbles on one. "I guess you could say it was bittersweet."

" _Bittersweet? As in she left you wanting more or she didn't want to go all the way or you left much to be desired~?"_

"Please do me a favor and destroy that moronic line of thinking."

" _C'mon. Don't deny it. You were thinking it."_

"I'm not _you_ , Gippal." Baralai pauses to swallow, plucking another pretzel from the pile. "You are a sex fiend."

" _And you, my dear friend,"_ Gippal says, mimicking his well-mannered voice to sound obnoxious, _"are a beast with too much pent-up energy."_

"I am _not_ a beast with too much pent-up energy."

" _You need a lady friend. Seriously. You're as stiff as a turd."_

Baralai sighs, reigning in his annoyance. "I have no comment for you this time."

" _Your unwillingness to talk means that I'm_ right!"

"If that's what helps you sleep at night then please, keep telling yourself that." The moment he hears the doorbell ring, Baralai rips a paper towel off the roll to wipe his hands. "That must be Yuna. I'm sorry to cut our conversation short, but I have to go."

" _Yuna? Ooh, Yuna. Tidus's ex-girlfriend. Be careful whose territory you tread, B'man."_

"Pardon me?" Baralai ambles into the living room with a stern beat to his step, halting beside the front door. "Do you always have to associate people by their past relationships? Yes, Yuna. My classmate, my friend. Interpret it however way you like. She's here to study with me."

" _Geez, you don't have to get so defensive."_

"Well, I apologize for being defensive. Sometimes I don't like the way you talk about people."

" _Touchy, touchy… okay. See ya, dude."_

"Yes. Talk to you soon."

" _We'll continue this another day!"_

"Yes, we shall discuss in full the incriminating details of my love life."

"Nonexistent _love life. And don't you be rolling your eyes at me. It's true!"_

"Goodbye, Gippal."

" _Farewell, but not goodbye."_

Baralai smiles. "Farewell, but not goodbye."

Ending the call, he pockets his phone and unlocks the door. 

Standing on his porch and shivering in her grey peacoat, Yuna smiles. 

The polite greeting he planned to give dies on his tongue. It stuns him for a moment how beautiful her long, red scarf flows in the cold wind, how beautiful her short and layered hair floats around pink cheeks pinched with cold. His fingers itch for a pen to write down the details of this phenomenon, and Yuna's mouth forms words that Baralai barely manages to catch.

"Hello. Thank you for having me."

"You…" He clears his throat, and smiles. "You look pretty."

She blushes, flattered. "Th-Thank you."

"Thank you for coming." He steps aside to invite her in.

She brushes past him, placing her messenger bag down to take off her shoes. "But of course. Were you talking to Gippal? Is he here?"

"Oh." He pauses, nervous. How much of the conversation did she happen to pick up? Concealing his discomfort behind a pleasant laugh, Baralai offers to put her coat in the closet. Yuna gives a quiet 'thank you' and lets go, and he reciprocates with a quick 'you're welcome' before putting it away. "No. I was on the phone with him. How did you know?"

She giggles. "I heard you say his trademark goodbye."

"I see." He smiles, and then steps outside to check the weather, shivering against the brisk wind. The sky became cloudy all of a sudden in contrast to the bright and sunny morning, and he holds his hand out to feel water sprinkle on his palm. Why does the day see fit to reflect his mood? A part of him dreads what the future will bring.

"Baralai? What are you doing? You're bringing the cold in." Yuna stands by the doorway, bundling the scarf around her neck.

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I was just checking the weather," he says, and takes the hand she offers. It feels nice and soft against his own, which shivers in the cold, and he smiles before allowing her to pull him inside, locking the door shut behind them.


	2. Soulmate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Baralai and Yuna spend the Sunday afternoon doing homework and hanging out.
> 
> (Or the calm before the storm, Pt. II.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of this chapter was inspired by an AMV called "The Age of Man" ― go watch it. It's a spiritual experience. :)

  
Chapter 2: Soulmate

_"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies."_

_― Aristotle_

* * *

_One person dies every second worldwide, at least one. One hundred and eight people die every minute worldwide. Seven point four billion people die each year of cancer worldwide. There are more than one hundred types of cancer; any part of the body can be affected. In the year 2011, there were a hundred and thirty-nine bombings in Sudan; each bombing attack caused fourteen casualties. One person commits suicide every forty seconds. There are two bullets for every person on the planet._

_Crime, famine, murder, disease ― we are all victim to mortality._

_In a world such as this, surrounded by lies and harsh realities, how can one even begin to hope for better days when today's tragedies will always casts its shadow on the light of tomorrow?_

_You tell yourself, "be brave"_

_You tell your loved ones, "I'll wait for you, stay safe, I miss you"_

_But does it do you any good? How do you know when words carry any solid guarantee?_

_How do you know if your life has any meaning?_

_You don't. However..._

_About four to five people are born every second worldwide; two hundred and sixty-seven people are born every minute worldwide. Two hundred million couples make love every day. Ninety-two million blood donations are collected annually. Love has more search results than fear. The average person laughs thirteen times a day. While one scientist is creating a weapon, one million moms are baking cakes. One septillion snow crystals drop from the sky each winter._

_In the words of Mahatma Ghandi, "You must be the change you want to see in the world."_

"What are you writing?"

"Hm? Oh, just my thoughts..."

Baralai closes his notebook after marking down the date, swiveling in his chair to face her. Yuna had been standing by the bookshelf while he wrote his reflection for the day, admiring his collection of novels, before gravitating back to his side, and he looks up to smile at her. "That was a marvelous video. An AMV, was it? I never thought something put together from numerous anime could yield this kind of profound effect on me. Thank you for showing me."

Yuna beams, clasping her hands behind her. "You're welcome. Doesn't it feel historical? I thought it would fit with our discussion."

"Definitely. I feel... After watching this video, I've come to appreciate the value of my life. After all, you only live once. You never know when you will die. Life is too short to squander away." Baralai stops there, winded by the depth of those words.

He can't help but think about his great-grandmother, a small, yet stubborn old woman whose years are catching up to her. She outlived her children and raised her grandchildren, and now lives in the care of her great-grandchild; the only one old enough and willing to look after her, at any rate. Her husband had passed on before her a long time ago, so it surprises him to see her so resolute in spite of everything. What drives her to live after so many of her friends and family have come and gone?

"Do you mind if I lie down? I'm a little tired..." Yuna says, sitting down at the foot of his bed.

"Of course, I... I'm sorry." He sighs, the smile weary on his face. "I didn't mean to drift off like that. I was just... thinking."

"That's okay. I don't mind you being quiet. We _did_ talk a lot..." Yuna says, yawning into her hand. "What do you feel like doing now?"

"Hmm... I don't know." Baralai leans on his armchair with his cheek propped on his fist, crossing his legs. "What about you?"

She hums, sleepy, and then takes his invitation to relax on his bed. "Let me think about it for a second..."

In the silence that follows, Baralai wonders how brainstorming for essay ideas led to this.

They talked about history in the past hour; the Civil War, its significant effect on slavery, and the freedom that followed in the aftermath, which shaped their modern world. Significant facts and important points made caused them to dig deeper into the nature of things. If that war had never happened, would they still be alive today or living in the country of their ancestors? They tried to imagine their individual lives without American freedom, and shuddered to think about it.

Their conversation would carry on to discuss other points of relevant concern; because without conflict or strife, would the world ever learn to develop? Before the time of modern vehicles or advanced medicine, injured soldiers were carried off the battlefield on wagons with their bullet wounds and missing limbs. Yuna expressed her utter discontent, heartbroken by the death count each war racks up, but Baralai chose not to sugarcoat the reality, because "yes, nobody likes war, except maybe the truly bloodthirsty ones who prefer violence over peaceful negotiation, but I'm afraid that's life."

Yuna refused to take that bleak truth at face value, which made her all the more determined to provide a counter-argument in the form of an animated music video called "Age of Man."

He never expected an afternoon quite like this, but he enjoyed it nonetheless. 

Straightening up in his seat, Baralai realizes that Yuna had dozed off and he had been watching her. He sighs again, but this time with a smile, and stands to go fetch a blanket. Pulling one out from the closet, he moves to drape it on top of her only to stop. Yuna looks so adorable in her vulnerability, mouth parted in a slight smile, the red scarf loose around her neck, that he decides to capture this moment on camera. Careful not to awaken her, he places the blanket down across her body and pulls out his phone, taking the shot.

Baralai admires the photo, blessing the fact he remembered to disable the sound. Even if she were to find out someday, he could always explain himself later. _'Yuna will understand. I think.'_ He decides to leave her be and exits the room, but not without giving her one last smile.

  


~

  


"Look. I know you don't need anyone in your hair right now. I spent the last couple of days getting everything sorted out. It's mostly notebooks. He dated them all. Now that I've got them all sorted out ― darn it! It should be 'in order,' 'in order'..." Baralai paces the living room, snapping his fingers to the words as he recites them out loud, before returning to where he left off. "Now that I've got them all in order, I don't have to stay here ― no, work here. I don't have to work here. I can take some stuff home, read it, and bring it back."

Baralai stops in his tracks, going over the lines in his head, until he hears a set of footsteps descend from upstairs. Turning towards the entryway, he smiles. "Why, hello there, Sleeping Beauty. Have you finally risen from your eternal slumber?"

"I'll have you know..." she says, stifling the yawn, "That I don't sleep all the time."

"I never said anything about it before. The fact you feel the need to defend yourself tells me people tease you for your..." Baralai trails off, searching for the right word. "...napping tendencies. Am I right?"

"Maybe." She smiles, matching him for mirth. "Are you reciting lines for a play? Sorry if I was interrupting your concentration."

"You weren't interrupting. You remind me I should be taking a break anyway. I haven't been able to meet with my partner lately to rehearse our scene due to conflicting schedules. Memorizing my lines is all I can do by myself..." Baralai rubs the back of his head, frustrated. "And apparently, I need to get accustomed to physical contact. My teacher thinks I'm too rigid and stiff."

"Oh, are you playing a kiss scene?" Yuna has the decency to blush, and he retaliates quick with a cool response.

"Fortunately, no. But I have no doubt that when we go up to recite our lines in class, my teacher will make us do something incrimina― I mean, intimate. Considering the nature of our characters' relationship, I suspect flirting, slow dancing, or maybe even seducing..." All uncomfortable things he can't imagine doing with his flamboyant partner, and dreads the day when they will have to present their recitations in front of the whole class. Will he be able to make it through the hour with his chastity intact, let alone his dignity?

"Sounds fun! Or, I mean, the teacher sounds fun." Yuna amends her statement with a sheepish grin. "If you don't mind, I would love to help with anything you need. Maybe even your phobia of human contact."

"It's not a phobia," he says, crossing his arms. "I think it's impolite to touch someone without permission."

She hums, smiling. "That's not what Rikku tells me."

"And you are inclined to believe everything that comes out of her mouth?"

"Maybe." Yuna mellows her teasing, and touches her chin in thought. "We can slow dance, since it's not as bad as seducing each other, and I'm not very good at flirting..."

He arches an eyebrow. "Really? It's not as hard as it sounds. You simply talk to someone you like. At least, that's what Gippal told me... Here, why don't we try it?" Baralai steps forward, taking her hand in his so he can lift it for a chaste kiss. "Greetings, my lady. You're looking quite lovely this afternoon. Even the sky agrees with me ― look how the sun fumes behind the storm clouds of its jealousy, because it knows it cannot compare to your beauty."

She blushes, giggling behind her free hand. "You sound like such an English gentleman..." Clearing her throat, she curtsies in her long skirt. "You are quite dashing yourself, Sir Baralai. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He lifts her hand to hold it between them, lacing her fingers in his. "May I bother thee with a dance?"

She bows her head, bashful, and gasps in surprise when Baralai pulls her in by the waist.

He pauses, flustered. "Oh, right. We don't have music."

"That's okay. We'll just play it by ear." Yuna starts swaying in place, humming along to a song in her head.

Baralai sways with her, his face lighting up with recognition. "Oh! Is that the Grande valse villageoise? I love that piece." 

"Huh? Um, I think so... It's _Sleeping Beauty_. You've seen the movie, right?" Yuna allows him to lead as they begin to glide across the room with broad, circling steps. 

"Oh, no. I didn't watch TV as a child. I spent a lot of my free time just reading books and playing music," Baralai says, leaving no more room for talk when he proceeds to sweep Yuna off her feet. Round and round they spin in a grand revolution of graceful movement, consumed by whimsical joy, until he dips her low, so low that they both collapse on the ground.

Yuna laughs, sitting up. "Hey, you did that on purpose!"

"You enjoyed it nonetheless," he says, and stands to offer a hand, steading Yuna on her feet. "You are a good dancer."

"Thank you. I took ballet when I was little, but stopped when it costed too much money. Right now I'm taking Jazz dance in school."

He smiles, impressed. "You, too, are an artist."

"Oh, no, I-I'm not an artist..." Yuna blushes, tongue-tied.

"Of course you are. Dancing is an art form, too, just like acting and writing. Art is not only restricted to the picturesque form, you know," Baralai says, and wonders why she looks away out of shyness when he only complimented what deserves to be praised.

"Who..." Yuna clears her throat. "W-Who is your partner? Do you think I know her?"

"Perhaps. No, actually, I'm sure you do." Baralai sighs, crossing his arms. "It's LeBlanc ― why are you laughing?"

"N-No reason... pfft, I'm sorry, I just..." Unable to contain herself, Yuna keels over in a fit of giggles. "I-I'm trying to imagine you w-with LeBlanc and... she'd be all over the place! And, and you'll be so awkward, it's f-funny ― eek!" She squeals when he picks her up, startled by his strength, and squeals again after he throws her against the couch. Wary of the playful gleam in his eyes, she moves to run.

Baralai captures her before she can escape, however, subjecting her to the cruelest of tickles. "What's so funny? What's so funny? Tell me, tell me what's so funny~."

"No, stop― please―" Yuna says, writhing in her laughter, "I beg you, have mercy~." She flails in search of a pillow and finally manages to chuck one at his face, only for Baralai to pick it up and throw it right back. Laughter bounces alongside soft instruments of pillowy destruction until thunder rumbles overhead, ceasing their horseplay.

After a moment of silence, they break out into giggles.

  


~

  


They manage to sit down at some point to construct the outlines for their essays; upon completing their rough drafts a couple hours later, they decide to stop there for the day and return to his room. While searching for fun things to do, Yuna ransacked his iTunes library, discovered to her great delight that they shared the same taste in music, and incited a silly karaoke session where even dancing became a part of it. Going about his household duties now, Baralai can feel the bruises in his calves start to form after one too many run-ins with his bed, yet has caught himself smiling more than once.

Although the day has been good to him so far, the same can't be said for the weather.

Moving to draw the curtains aside, Baralai peers through the window. "It's pouring outside..."

Yuna sits up from her cozy spot on the couch, smiling. "Can we go outside? I want to watch the storm."

 _'Didn't we have a conversation about this the other day?'_ Baralai leans on the window seat and crosses his arms, impassive towards her plight. "We should stay inside. It sounds dangerous."

"But there's going to be a thunderstorm! Just a few minutes? Please?"

"I'm sorry, but we shall have to pass on this one. The lightning's too close."

Yuna sighs, collapsing back onto the couch. "You said you would watch it with me..."

"Watching thunderstorms _outside_ sounds romantic in hindsight, but in reality we would be endangering ourselves. You could wind up getting struck by lightning, resulting in sure death." He puts his foot down on the matter, amused by her groan of dismay. "I've been meaning to ask you... what time are you planning to leave today?"

"Oh. I told my mom seven."

"Seven? And you arrived here around one?"

Yuna nods, sitting up to smooth out her skirt. "I'm sorry. Did I take too much of your time?"

Baralai sits down on the opposite end so he can relax his legs, lounging against the armrest while watching the credits roll. Yuna had spent the last hour watching _Game of Thrones_ on rerun while he vacuumed the house, and now he sighs, tired. "It's not a problem, really. I'm just curious why you decided to stay so long if all we agreed to do was study."

She steals a pillow for her lap, tugging on his legs until he perceives the message to drape them on top of her, and smiles. "I wanted to spend time with you. We've known each other for awhile, because we have the same friends, but... I don't think we've ever hung out together by ourselves. I guess... I wanted to get to know you more."

Flattered by this simple confession, Baralai sits up straighter so he can give her his full attention.

"You like books like I do, and enjoy having deep conversations like I do," she says, fiddling with the end of his pant leg. "We keep certain things private, but at the same time we're not afraid of talking about them with people we trust. We have a lot in common, but we're also very different. I-I don't know. I just thought... we could be closer, that's all..." Yuna trails off after losing the nerve, and decides to stare at the floor instead.

He smiles. "I think I understand what you're saying. Like how I tend to be logical while you're more so the emotional one."

"Yeah! Don't you think it's strange that we haven't gravitated to each other sooner?"

"It probably has to do with the fact we're too similar. We find ourselves more attracted to people who are our opposites. Paine and Gippal are like that for me."

"Rikku is like that for me, too." She sobers her mirth, falling silent in the breath of a moment. "He, um, he was like that for me, too. Often I thought he was my sun and I was his moon. Sometimes things just... don't work out the way you want them to, I suppose." 

Baralai frowns, startled by her sudden sadness. It occurs to him he has never seen Yuna open up about that particular subject before and feels compelled to comfort her. "Do you... want to talk about it?" When she says nothing, only wrings her hands on the hem of her blouse in silence, he sighs and crosses his arms, pulling his legs up to give her space. Glancing at the TV, he smiles. "I notice you like _Game of Thrones_."

Grateful for the change in topic, Yuna sighs in relief. "Yes. It's a great show. My family loves watching it."

"I see. Out of everyone in the show, who do you think you resemble more? Someone you believe that you can relate to."

"Hmm... I don't know, actually. I don't think I belong in that kind of world. _Game of Thrones_ would eat me alive!" she says with a laugh.

"True," he says with a laugh, pressing on, "However, to be honest... I can see a little bit of Daenerys in you."

She puts a hand to her heart, surprised. "The dragon princess? Really?"

"Yes. If I may be so bold as to say so... You both have experienced similar hardships in the name of love. You were a girl very much in love with someone who made you very happy. Until unforeseen circumstances brought the death of your relationship, that is. But you see, Daenerys grows as a character despite those hardships. No, it is _because_ of her marriage to Khal Drogo and the khalasar lifestyle that she has become an independent young woman who still harbors kindness and compassion in her heart. I can see that in you."

"I... I don't know what to say."

"I don't think it's too cynical to say that things happen, whether or not you want them to. Regardless of the reasons why your relationship came to an end, you should be able to look back on those days and appreciate them. Don't mourn over your memories ― allow them to make you stronger. You were happy with him for however long you two were together. I doubt you could have asked for more, considering the fact it could have been worse, right?"

Yuna stares at him, speechless, which makes him wonder: _'Did my words sink in at all or have I said too much?'_ For all he knows, she probably didn't like what she heard; after all, she never asked him about what he thought about her love life. "...but I understand that this kind of thinking is hard to accept. I'm not exactly an expert in love, so I'm hardly in the position to talk. I just hope that what I said helped you in any way."

"It does, kind of," she says with a meek smile, pulling her knees up so she can rest her chin between them. "You seem to know exactly what you're talking about. I wish I can be more like you, decisive and confident..."

"That might be true about me, but..." He sighs, weary of this conversation and the kind of heavy thoughts it invokes. "In all honesty, I don't like talking about things I don't understand. You probably would know what to do better than me."

"Don't sell yourself short. Your words make a lot of sense. I mean, love doesn't usually make sense, and it doesn't have to make sense, but... you make me want to believe love _can_ make sense," she says, lost in thought until she looks at him. "Thank you, for being so understanding." 

Baralai spies the beginnings of a true smile on her lovelorn face, does not know why he cannot bring himself to look away. 

Spellbound by the soft intensity of her glowing eyes, he smiles. "You're welcome."


End file.
